Since switching to DoorCo as their sole supplier of composite doors two years ago, Midlands-based fabricator Central Window Systems, hasn’t looked back.
Central’s Sales Director, Martin Elwell, tells us more about their thriving partnership:
“Switching suppliers is a daunting prospect and although we’d been experiencing some service issues, we were ‘ok’ with our previous composite door supplier. Until we met with DoorCo! Composite doors are an important part of our product range, along with PVC-U and aluminium windows, and the move to DoorCo has enabled us to expand our offering to our existing customers. The DoorCo brand has also opened up new opportunities, with enquiries coming in specifically because we’re a DoorCo fabricator.
“From the very first meeting we felt important. The team that came to see us were a mix of known and new faces, which was very reassuring. They took the time to understand our business and explain what DoorCo is all about. When they introduced us to their product range and all their colours and glass, we were blown away!
“Since, they have delivered on promises and an excellent relationship has evolved. They are a key supplier, flexible, supportive of our business and great at listening to any ideas or issues we have. Overall, they have a nice mentality: without sounding cheesy, they are big enough to deliver and small enough to care.
“Concentrating on the ORiGINAL foam-filled doors for now, our composite doors now arrive prepped and glazed. The benefits are twofold: the space relinquished from not fabricating in house has been reallocated to increase manufacturing capacity and efficiency of our PVC-U windows.
“We’re also able to make the most of the vast ORiGINAL product range without having to learn how to make new designs and hold large amounts of stock. Their glass offering is particularly important here. We order exactly what we need, and it’s delivered ready for the frame.
“Quality has improved significantly too. We rarely get kickbacks and if we do, they’re dealt with succinctly.
“When it comes to marketing, we rely on the DoorCo name and have adopted all their branding because there is a lot of pull in the market. This in itself has generated leads, with new installers initially coming to us to access the product range specifically, but in turn, giving us the opportunity to upsell our other PVC-U and aluminium products.
“We still have our own Central brochure, featuring a bite-sized collection of doors to suit our customers, but we no longer rename all the door styles, for example. Although installers can access the full range (and those that know Doorco know the choice), we worked with DoorCo to understand their best-sellers and what would work best for our business. There’s so much on offer, it’s an education – as much for us as our customers!
“DoorCo has also supported the development of our customer hub, a hybrid meeting-showroom space at our West Brom facility. They’ve helped us make the most of the space, highlighting key doors in the range as well as clever ways of balancing aspiration with information.
“All-in-all, DoorCo is a very good supplier. Next step is to explore adding the 44mm BRiTDOR solid timber door to our range.”
Adam Sullivan, Sales Executive for DoorCo, comments: “The experience and drive of Central Window Systems make them a great customer to work with. They understand the market and what their customers need. Their determination to be a one-stop supplier for retail and commercial installers perfectly matches our own ONE Supplier principles.
“Building strong relationships is key in this industry and benefit the entire supply chain. And these relationships only thrive when the service, product range and communication continue to develop. We’re looking forward to continuing to support the team at Central as our businesses continue to evolve and grow in the true sense of the word partnership.”
